Driven: Volvo XC70 Teknik

Volvo's off-road wagon has a new engine variant with cutting-edge technology. But it's let down by an ageing platform.

January 31 2013

David McCowen

2013 Volvo XC70.

This is not the car people picture when they think of a Volvo station wagon. The XC70 T6 Teknik is Volvo's V70 load-lugger, after a few sessions in Lance Armstrong's preferred clinic. It's bigger, brawnier and loaded with gadgets that should give it an unfair advantage in the prestige peloton.

The range-topping, all-wheel-drive T6 Teknik is loaded with extras such as satellite navigation, a blind-spot warning system, active lights that look around corners, and an electric seat for the front passenger.

At $69,990, it represents something of a bargain over the similarly powered V70 wagon, which costs $70,450 but is built to order and could be tough to find.

Volvo introduced the high-riding wagon with a "muscular and powerful exterior" in late 2007, but it hasn't offered that version of the car with a high-performance six-cylinder engine until now.

The T6 motor is one of just three turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engines sold today, and it's in strong company – the other two are the Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo and BMW 335i sedan.

Volvo's transverse-mounted 3.0-litre turbo pumps out 224kW and 440Nm, a fair amount of wallop for a family wagon. It might even be a little too much.

The XC70's softly sprung, high-riding suspension is clearly more about comfort and, when pushed, struggles to reign in almost two tonnes (1951kg) of wagon, and the dual-purpose Pirelli Scorpion tyres have a tenuous hold on the tarmac once the engine is giving its best.

Volvo doesn't pitch the XC70 as a performance car, instead saying that the wagon "brings out the explorer in us all".

We didn't take this T6 Teknik variant off-road, but being based on a regular wagon - with long overhangs front and rear - suggests bush bashing is not its strength.

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The interior is an interesting place to be, with a minimalist style highlighted by Volvo's floating centre console, finished with a striking, brushed aluminium effect. The four-spoke steering wheel is inviting, thanks to what Volvo describes as a "silk metal inlay", but the spokes are too thick and there are no shift paddles to help manage all that grunt.

Instead, manual gear selections can be made using the gear selector, which has a Tron-like illuminated glow after dark. The instruments have a similar sci-fi feel, with conventional speed and tacho needles orbiting around twin digital displays.

One feature straight out of Star Trek is the adaptive cruise-control and collision warning system, which can accelerate and brake on behalf of drivers. We gave it a crack during a metropolitan commute and found we only needed to take over and brake for traffic lights – Volvo's impressive system was capable of detecting traffic snarls and stopping smoothly.

The cruise-control is part of a $6250 optional safety suite that includes pedestrian detection, lane departure warnings and other systems well worth a look.

The car we tested was noticeably dearer than Volvo's list price, coming in at $78,665, plus on-road and dealer costs. The extra dollars bought that $6250 safety pack, tinted windows and a "personal car communicator" (that is, the key) and alarm.

The XC70 becomes even less of a bargain when equipped with the $4175 continuously controlled chassis concept that allows drivers to electronically tailor the car's suspension and dynamics.

The suspension pack might give the chassis some discipline, but the XC70 T6 Teknik still sits within a relatively small niche that's also populated by other higher-riding SUVs such as Audi's Q5 3.0T.